Columbia University’s Data Breach: A Comedy of Errors Affecting 870,000 Individuals
An unknown threat actor has swiped sensitive personal, financial, and health details of 870,000 Columbia University students and staff after a network breach. Columbia University is offering two years of free credit monitoring, possibly as a consolation prize for those wishing they had gone to Rutgers instead.
Hot Take:
So, Columbia University has been hacked, and it wasn’t by a group of mischievous freshmen trying to change their grades. This time, someone nabbed nearly a million people’s sensitive information. That’s right—870,000+ students and employees are now part of an exclusive club that nobody signed up for! But hey, at least they can say they’re part of a historic event in the university’s long and storied history. Who needs Ivy League credentials when you’ve got identity theft protection for two years? Move over, alumni magazine; the data breach newsletter is here!
Key Points:
- An unknown threat actor breached Columbia University’s network in May, affecting nearly 870,000 individuals.
- The breach was discovered following a system outage on June 24 and reported to law enforcement.
- Data stolen includes personal, financial, and health information of students, employees, and applicants.
- The university is offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services.
- There is no current evidence of misuse of the stolen data in identity theft or fraud attempts.